Aerospace company Boeing has announced plans to discontinue its in-flight internet services, blaming a lack of support from airline companies for the decision.
The company said on Thursday that it would stop providing the service to airlines. It charged airlines 拢169 million ($320m) to install technology allowing passengers to access the internet from a laptop or PDA via an onboard Wi-Fi connection.
Boeing established a business unit in 2000 to develop the technology needed to provide high-speed internet aboard planes and launched a commercial service, called Connexion, in 2005.
Advertisement
Each aircraft is fitted with a satellite link and users connect to an internal wireless network.
Long-haul
However, only 146 airliners, mostly belonging to Asian carriers flying long-haul, signed up to use the service and, in June 2006, Boeing said it would review its future.
鈥淥ver the last six years, we have invested substantial time, resources and technology in Connexion,鈥� Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney said in a statement.
鈥淩egrettably, the market for this service has not materialised as had been expected,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e believe this decision best balances the long-term interests of all parties.鈥�
Airlines typically charge about $30 dollars, or $10 per hour, for internet access aboard Connexion-equipped planes. Boeing also developed voice-over internet protocol (VoIP) handsets allowing users to also make phone calls through the system.
Safe levels
Although wireless devices are normally banned aboard airplanes, because of concerns they could interfere with crucial aircraft electronics, Boeing said Connexion had been developed to limit the power of radio links to safe levels.
Another in-flight internet service called OnAir has been developed by European aerospace companies Airbus and SITA. This lets passengers use GSM cellphones and GPRS-enabled internet devices onboard planes. It uses a 鈥減ico-cell鈥� base-station fitted aboard the plane to limit radio transmissions to safe levels.
The companies behind both services have been keen to emphasise that they are safe. In March 2006, however, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, US, concluded that other pre-existing wireless devices, including normal cellphones, could interfere with cockpit equipment, especially GPS receivers.
